Shock-absorbing mechanism



Dec. 26, 1922.

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I N a 834M Dec. 26, 1922.

WE. SYMONS.

SHOCK ABSORBING MECHANISM.

FILED DEC. 15, 1'92].

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2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

\VILS'OI'J' E. SFZHEGNS, OF NEW-f YORK, N. Y.

SHGGK- TALBSQRBING 1 Application filed. December 15, 1921.

erehy (it clear, and

ta ns to make and use the same. v lily invention relates to shock inerhanisin primarily intended to picyed as the cushioning unit of ri i yging appliances tor railway cars and comotives, and is an improvement upon the apparatus which is the subject of my Patent No. 1,396,896, granted November 15, 1921. The purpose of the PIQSGIR invention is to simplify the construction, reduce the cost, decrease the expense of maintenance and increase the strength and shock absorbing capacity of the mechanism disclosed in my patentre'terred to Generally stated, the principal features of the invention whereby the before noted ol jects are accomplished are the following: The casing end cap forming a seat for the springs is secured to the casing in such manner that the number and arrangement oi springs employed give greatly increased spring capacity and correspondingly augment the ii'rictional resistance oi the mechanism; a. skeleton term ot casing is employed h aving a plurality of columnar portions supporting; er ch of the stop shoulde s formed on the interior or the casing; for cooperating with the follower interposed between the slidable friction wedges and the springs within the casing which are compressed by said follower; and the exterior of the casing on opposite sides of the convergent iaces ith which the slidable wedges contact provided with webs extending from t ie stop shoulders of the casing); toward the outer ends oi? saidconvergent faces, and the follower which enga es the outer ends oi the wecges is niova ly connected to the casing by means or a plurality of posts which extend toward said stop shoulders along the exterior of the casing on opposite sides of the said webs.

Other features 01" my invention enabling the several parts of the shock absorbing CX-IANISlVI.

Serial No. 522,502.

mechanism to be coordinated in a manner producing advantageous and improved results will hereinafter appear.

in the drawings illustrating the invention, the scope wl'iereoi is pointed out in the claims,-

Figure l is a plan view of a shock absorbmechanism embodying the invention, the ts being in normal position.

Figure 2 is a horizontal central section or the construction shown in Fig. 1.

Figure 3 is a transverse section on the line 3-3, Fig. 1.

Figure 4 is a section on the line l-st,

'ure 5 is a section on the line 55,

drawings, 1 is a casing which is adapted to receive spring means and friction elements. The casing is open at opposite ends and is formed interiorly on opposite sides with inclined races 2 which converge inwardly from the outer end or the casing. A plurality of inclined faces 2 is preferably formed on each side of the eastheir disposition being such as to form a wedge shaped channel between them. Ad-

jacent the inner ends of the convergent faces 2 the casing is provided with oppositely disposed stop shoulders 3 forming seats "for a follower 4t.

t lidably mounted in the casing l and conto the convergent inclined faces 2 is a pair ict-ion wedges 5 which bear against the follower 3 and normally project outwardly beyond the neighboringend of the casing. These wedges, which are adapted to have relative movement toward and from each other, bear upon the opposite ends of. a

transversely disposed spring 6 interposed between. said wedges tor the purpose of constantly maintaining them in contact with the respectively corresponding inclined faces 2 of the casing. The, spring means employed for forcing the wedges apart is, as shown,

preferably a double coil spring. A bolt 7 extendingthrough said spring and through suitable apertures in the wedges 5 is preferably employed for limiting the separation of said wedges, such a construction being advantageous in that it facilitates the as sembly of the wedges and interposed spring with the other parts of the shock absorbing mechanism. The inner ends 8 of the tric- ,ablin'g the casing eii iciently to resist wedges 5, is z.

. respective stop shoulders 53.

Seated centraliy upon the follower a; so that its axis 15 directed between the iriction double coil major spring 12 whose opposite end bears upon an end cap or cover plate 13 secured to the end. o'l' the casing 1 which" is remote from the wedges. in addition'to thei'najor springa plurality oi minor coil springs 14: are interposed between the follower 4; and the end cap 13 externallyoi said spring 12, the axes 0? said springs A being); in alinenient with thstop shoulders on the. interior of the casing and the adjacent springs let being spaced from each other to permit the'interrention of: perforated lugs 15 with which the casing,- 1 is provided on opposite sides adjacent the end cap 18.

The end cap 13 is integrally provided with a plurality of posts 16 which extend through the corresponding aperturedlugs 15- and are slotted at their inner ends for the ception'oi keys 1?. These keys which are strong and rugged and which, shown, preferably have their ends split and bent outwardly so as to retain them in assembled position, bear against the respective lugs 15 and thus restrain outward more- Inent 0t theend cap 13 with respect to the casing 1-.

The portion of the casing-1 which is between the stop shoulders 3 and the endcap 13 is of skeleton form having at each side a plurality of columnar portions 1 -8 extending in the direction of compression of the coil springs 12 and 14: in alinement with the Each of these columnar portions is preferably provided with a series or, spaced. openings if) adia; cent the external springs 14 througl'i which the condition of the latter may be ascertained by inspection, while the lateral openings 20 between the adjacent columnar pertions permit the insertionand removal of the keys I? and also allow the mai rspri11g 12" tobe viewed. The walls of the casing are also preferably formed with o'pposi disposed openings 21 which are spaced rear wardly from the interior stop shoulders 3 otthe casing. to provide-flanges 22 tying said stop shoulders togethenand thus enthe bursting strains imposed thereon when the friction wedges 5 are forced inwardly.-

The exterior of the casing l on opposite sldes of the convergent inclined faces 2 is preferably provided with longitudinal. webs 28 oft'aper'ing' form which extend from the stop shoulders 3 toward the outer ends of ing and the large double c the smaller coil sp let an" seated upon said follower. the end cap are then ins-sertcn a. ertured lugs 15 of the casing and the 17 are driven into place so as to cap to the casing. it iisp,

Jlcrreu that the assembly of the end cap 15 with the casing shall ause a slight compression. of the springs 12 and 14%.. The friction wedges 5 and their interposed sprirrs 6 after haw-111g: been connected by the ho i 7 are brouo'ht into assembled relation with the convergent inclined faces 2 of the ('ilSlll, the posts of the outer follower it! are passed tl are then driven through the slots at the inner ends of said posts. tlr s coxnple.-;in.g ;'tl1c assembly or the mechanisr. it is prererred that the application of the outer follower 11 shall'set the friction wedges 5 in place with moderate pressure snnicient to remove all slack in the mechanisn'z.

The operation of the device will be readily understood from my Patent No. 1,396,896, already mentioned. I

It will be seen that my present invention simplifies and. reduces the number of parts of the mechanism, makes it si-er oft assembly, increases its strength and shock absorb inoca} acity and reduces its cost.

l claim 1. ln a chmabsorb i 'luechzm snr. the combination w th a casing: which open :at OPpOSliJQGIHlS and is formed in :J oriy with inwardly Convergent faces and with stop shoulders adjacen the inner ends said faces, ot a plurality of simultaneously and relatively movable wodo'essl' l .dy e said. convergent ta-(es and nornia project ing outwardly beyond one end or sa d cas- Ting} spring; means interposel 'bcitwesni s A wedges, a liollmrcr t 'n'ially seated. upon said. step shoulders and one" gi said wedges and adapted to be d placed from should s by saidv wedges, a major seated r )Oll saidfollower-and he axis extending between said wedges t rality otminor sprillgs s i'tod upon a lower, an endow secured to said casin l l upon which said major and minor sp ings hear a follower engaging the e ter ends of said wedges, and. means projecting be ween adjacent ones ofstlid n nor spihgs se curing said end-ca to said casing, said. roli lieule a d c ed to receive smi e l U Wei, and an H I t L 1 11pm which said springs been between said step shoulders and v .7 snack we Alli a and is skeleton form and pi'evidm 9; ends elf ns extending; the 35 itaneeusly sion of said e011 9 r s oulders being my said columnar per 1 shock zilvso rbing mechanism 121351011. with a cesmgg which is epe V v ()WYQE" -te ends and, is formed interior s2 Q I i 1 't- A Y! :dly convergent faces and with i l rs adjacent the inner ends 0'? :1 plul'zlllty of simnlt-ixneoisly We wedgez s slidzulvly faces and normally V e vJnd one end 0%? said vi ill 19 5 an, end 0: n secured a, fallen-nei- Lei illy s ated upon said shouldess and engg ins; the inner ends of said Wedges a double coil ing seated upon said llower with .L wedge coil springs seat- 1 552.1(1 deuble ceil 1 29 step nuniczm en 1 which said lie itl said s10 c is end end cap being m' v'led with eolnmnar poi LS lmvnngs ad said external YHHQS T 11 ii eting with the interier of i I 125 h of said step shoulders being supl 7. In 1 shock absorbing mechanisnn the and combination with a casing Wlncli 13 Open at 136 opposite ends and is formed interiorly with inwardly convergent faces and with stop shoulders adjacent the inner ends said faces, of a plurality of simultaneously and relatively movable wedges .slidably engaging said convergent faces and normally pi jecting outwardly beyond one end of said ing, spring means interposed between wedges, a follower normally seated upon stop shoulders and engaging said wedg plurality of springs seated upon said to lower, an end cap secured to said casing and upon which said springs near, and a :toilower engaging the outer enos of said wedges, the exterior of said casing on opposite' sides of said convergent faces being provided with longitudinal webs extendingfrom said stop shoulders toward the outer ends of said faces and also being provided with a plurality otfapertured lugs lying on opposite sides of said Webs, and said last named follower being provided with a plurality of posts corresponding to said apertured lugs and extending therethrough.

8. In a shock absorbing mechanism, the

projecting outwardly beyond one end of said casing, spring means interposed between said wedges, iollower normally seated upon said shoulders and engaging said wedges a plurality of springs seated upon said follower, an end cap secured to said casing and forming a seat tor said springs, and a follower engaging the outer ends ofsaid' wedges and inovably connect ed to said casing said casing being provided with a plurality of apertured lugs, and said last named follower being provided with a plurality of posts respectively projecting through said lugs and extending toward said stop shoulders along the exterior of said casing.

In testimony whereof I ai'liX my signature.

WILSON E. SYMONS. 7 

